Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Photo voltaic Power Company of India’s (SECI) settlement to buy energy from the Adani Group advantages the state authorities, asserting that any motion on bribery allegations towards the conglomerate will likely be primarily based on a meticulous overview of obtainable data.
Addressing the media on the Telugu Desam Occasion’s (TDP) headquarters in Mangalagiri on Wednesday, Naidu stated, “We are going to proceed as per authorized provisions after completely analyzing the data.”
On Tuesday, whereas talking in Vijayawada, he emphasised that the state authorities can not annul contracts with out substantial proof of irregularities. “Canceling contracts with out clear proof might end in heavy penalties. We’d like strong proof earlier than taking any motion,” he defined.
This improvement follows over a month after U.S. authorities indicted Gautam Adani on expenses of bribing Indian officers to safe profitable photo voltaic power contracts. Talking within the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Meeting on November 22, Naidu confirmed that his authorities had acquired the U.S. indictment report and guaranteed motion if any discrepancies have been found.
Reiterating his stand on governance, Naidu stated, “I’ll by no means interact in vindictive politics, however I can’t spare those that commit wrongdoing. Nobody, nevertheless highly effective, is above the regulation.”
He additionally criticised the earlier YSR Congress Occasion (YSRCP) authorities, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing it of dismantling vital programs and stalling main initiatives equivalent to Amaravati and Polavaram. “The individuals suffered immensely through the YSRCP’s five-year rule because of anarchic insurance policies. It induced havoc with key infrastructure and improvement initiatives,” he added.
Naidu lauded the general public’s belief in his management, mirrored in what he referred to as a “historic verdict” that introduced the TDP-led coalition again to energy in 2024. He famous his proactive efforts since assuming workplace, together with a number of visits to New Delhi to safe central funds and resolve technical bottlenecks.
Taking a stern tone on on-line dissent, Naidu warned of strict measures towards objectionable social media posts. “Individuals will see the identical willpower I confirmed as Chief Minister in 1995. Stringent motion will likely be taken towards those that unfold objectionable content material on-line,” he cautioned.
The U.S. indictment towards Adani alleges that he personally met a high-ranking Andhra Pradesh official, known as “International Official 1,” a number of instances in 2021 to advance energy provide agreements between SECI and Andhra Pradesh’s state electrical energy distribution firms. Whereas the official stays unnamed, filings by the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee recommend that Adani met with the state’s Chief Minister in August 2021. Through the interval from Might 2019 to June 2024, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy served as Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister.
In response, the YSR Congress Occasion has denied any direct agreements between the state’s energy distribution firms and the Adani Group, asserting that the allegations are baseless.
